The Midsummer Classic returned to the Nation’s capital in 1969 and the National League provided some fireworks for the crowd which included President Richard M. Nixon. The American League entered this All-Star Game determined to close out the 60’s with a win and continue that momentum into the next decade. The years of leading, only to lose in extra innings had taken its toll along with the fact that in the forty innings preceding the game, the National had scored only six runs (and still were unbeatable). Th1969 Midsummer Classic was originally scheduled for July 22, but a torrential rain storm postponed it to the following day. The Midsummer Classic was played on July 23, 1969 at the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C. By the end of the third innings, though the National League already had eight and was coasting, thanks to a murderous assault on Mel Stottlemyre and his successor, Blue Moon Odom. Johnny Bench hit a monster home run off the facing of Robert F. Kennedy’s stadium’s second deck, and Willie McCovey hit a pair of moon-shots to power the National League to a 9-3 lead after the fourth. Detroit’s Denny Mclain, the American League’s starting pitcher, arrived too late to start the game.

By the time he entered the contest in the fourth innings, the National league had accumulated eight runs, including two-run blast by Johnny Bench and Willie McCovey. Pitching took over from that point as neither team could plate another run and the National League took home their seventh straight All-Star Game win. The American League went quietly to the end for their seventh straight loss. Many fans began echoing the negative sentiments from previous decades when one league dominated the other. At this point, the team might have quoted by former American League star Charlie Gehringer from 1934 when he said, “It was starting to get embarrassing.” Willie McCovey won the Most Valuable Player Award due largely to his two home runs which tied an All-Star Game record set earlier by Arky Vaughan [1941 All-Star Game], Ted Williams [1946 All-Star Game], and Al Rosen[1954 All-Star Game]. This particular National League win marked their seventh consecutive victory and the fans turned out in force to see who would win setting a new record at the at the gates with 417,832 dollars in receipts.